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Re: [PrC] For the ultimate 'kick in the door' style play

Destructive Brew (Ex): A demolisher knows well the power and make of the substances he uses to remove obstacles. As well, as he advances he learns how to mix up a number of explosive and acidic substances himself and apply them skillfully to his calling. Even with his experience a Demolisher must make a DC 20 Knowledge (architecture and engineering) skill check to predict and measure the necessary amount and properly place the explosives. If not, the following chart shows the failed results with a 1d12:

What action does this take? How does this work; can you remove anything? There are rules for objects, you know, and if this automatically blows up anything with no limits with a simple knowledge check, the first thing this class would do is blow up the earth.

1 - The Demolisher made a horrible mistake, and has taken out the supports of the room, causing the entire area to collapse in on itself in a 20x20 area. It also goes off prematurely before the Demolisher can escape the room, causing 2d10 points of damage from the explosion, and then he, and everyone else with him, is trapped and hit by the falling debris.

No reflex save? Also, what if you're blowing something up outside; does the entire earth collapse into a small 20X20 square?

2 - The Demolisher made a mistake and put too much explosive nearby and it goes off early. The Demolisher is almost out of range before it goes off, but still takes 1d6 points of damage. An area of 10x10 collapses in on itself.

OK, I guess, but still, the wording makes it impossible to know if a 10x10 area is huge or barely anything.

3 - The Demolisher made a mistake and though he gets out in time, it takes out the wrong area, and causes everything around the explosion in a 5x10 area to collapse

OK... well, there's no range for the explosions anyway, so I don't know if 5x10 extra is a lot or not.

4 - The Demolisher made a mistake and nothing happens. The explosive simply doesn't go off until approached once again, where he takes 1d20 points of damage

And... does the explosion still auto get rid of obstacles? This is very poorly worded.

9-10 - The Demolisher made a mistake and set the explosives in the wrong place and the opening he was wishing for does not show. It may simply blast out a bit of rock, or open a passage to an entirely different location.

But what if you aren't opening a passageway? This class feature just seems to be "Blow this up" where "this" is ill defined; much like collapsing a room into a 20x20 square, it doesn't work if you aren't doing one specific thing.

11-12 - The Demolisher made a mistake and though the passageway is opened like he wanted, it takes out the supports to the room it led into and the opening is blocked once more.

So... it does nothing? Why does this need a separate feature? Again, what if you aren't opening a passageway?

Stonecunning: This ability grants a demolisher a +2 bonus on Search checks to notice unusual stonework, such as sliding walls, stonework traps, new construction (even when built to match the old), unsafe stone surfaces, shaky stone ceilings, and the like. Something that isnít stone but that is disguised as stone also counts as unusual stonework. A demolisher who merely comes within 10 feet of unusual stonework can make a Search check as if he were actively searching, and he can use the Search skill to find stonework traps as a rogue can. A demolisher can also intuit depth, sensing his approximate depth underground as naturally as others can sense which way is up.

Woo, fluff bonuses! Nothing wrong with this, but it's not great.

Tapper (Ex): At 1st level a Demolisher can use a hammer to tap around a room and discover any hidden doors with a successful listen check of DC 12. He can also use this to determine how thick a wall is for up to twenty feet of thickness with a successful listen check of DC 16. No check is necessary to discover if something is hollow or empty, such as a chest or visible door or anything else that could be hiding something within.

What action is required for this, again?

Acidic Mixture (Ex): At 2nd level level a Demolisher learns the formula of special acids and gains a +4 bonus to Craft (alchemy) checks.

Woo?

Demonblood
This noxious mixture once properly created makes a yellowish, oily substance.Skill check: Craft (alchemy) DC 20Effect: Demonblood dissolves iron, lead, fabrics, wood, bone, and flesh even in small quantities at 4 HP per round. Its fumes, if breathed in, sear the lungs for 1d6 points of damage and 2 points of temporary constitution loss.Cost: The materials for Demonblood can be mined by the Demolisher and cost nothing. The bought materials per gallon cost 5 gold.

So... how does it work to breathe in the fumes? Can you use it as a ranged attack? How long do they last?

Royal Water
This is a very unassuming mixture that as appears as a clear, clean liquid. It burns flesh if in contact for extended periods but is otherwise safe to handle.Skill check: Craft (alchemy) DC 24Effect: Royal water dissolves platinum and gold at 2 HP per round.Cost: 1 gallon of Royal water takes 20 gold worth of materials to mix.

You know what else dissolves gold and platinum at 2HP per round or more? A hammer! Why would you pay 20 g to do something that has no mechanical effect?

Hardbane
This intensely sticky substance is a thickly gooey, dark-gray mixture that binds tightly with steel, mithril and even adamantium. Skill check: Craft (alchemy) DC 28Effect: Hardbane disolves steel at a rate of 4 HP per round, mithril 2 HP per round, and adamantium at 1 HP per round.Cost: The raw materials for hardbane cost 60 gold per oz. [/spoiler]

Again, you can just hit things to get this. The same actually goes for your original class feature; Disintegrate is a lot easier than trying to figure out what limits, if any, you intended for your "blow stuff up" ability.

Breaking and Entering: A Demolisher gains Improved Sunder as a bonus feat. You gain a +2 bonus on any Strength checks you make to break down doors or break inanimate, immobile objects for each level of Demolisher. At 6th level you can ignore an object's hardness.

Well, for sunder monkeys this is OK, but sundering isn't all that great to begin with. This is the first ability with actual combat potential, though.

Burrow (Ex): At third level a Demolisher with a digging tool gains a burrow speed of 5 feet. This speed increase to 10 feet at sixth level, and to a total of 20 feet at ninth level. A Demolisher can burrow at half speed without a tool.

Well, that's useful for positioning, but this class is looking very mechanically weak so far.

Trap Sense (Ex): A demolisher gains an intuitive sense that alerts him to danger from traps, giving him a +1 bonus on Reflex saves made to avoid traps and a +1 dodge bonus to AC against attacks made by traps. These bonuses rise by +1 for each additional level.

It's trap sense, woo? Not the greatest ability ever.

Favored Enemy (Ooze) (Ex): At fourth level a Demolisher has learned the ways of oozes and formally declares them as the creatures they detest above all others. Due to their extensive knowledge a Demolisher gains a +2 bonus on Listen, Spot, and Survival checks when using these skills against any type of ooze. Likewise, one of this class receives a +2 on weapon damage rolls against creatures of this kind. A demolisher's save against an ooze's acid (damage and paralysis) is also increase by 1 per level taken of Demolisher.
At 8th level the bonuses to skills and attacks double.

These bonuses do not stack with a Ranger's existing favored enemy bonuses.

Oozes aren't that great anyway, and you'd need far more than a small bonus to damage to make this worth taking, so far.

From Out of the Wreckage (Ex): A Demolisher automatically succeeds on reflex saves against cave-ins and only takes half damage. They also only take half damage while pinned by rubble. A Demolisher may instinctively goes into the Trance of the Trapped, requiring only 1/10th the normal air. While in this trance they can take no actions. They may leave the trance at will.

What action does it take to go into the trance?

A Demolisher may also attempt to escape a cave-in without aid by making 3 consecutive DC 15 Strength checks.

Well, this is neat, if only because cave ins auto kill other people without help, which never made sense to me.

Concussion Resistance (Ex): At fifth level a Demolisher has learned how to toughen and relax himself to take concussive blows from experience with his own explosives. This results in resistance 10 to sonics and force, including explosions. This includes effects like a Concussion Blast or Magic Missile. This resistance increase by 2 per Demolisher level to a maximum of resistance 20 at level ten.

At 8th level a Demolisher gains the Improved Toughness feat.

Word it as sonic and force damage; sonics and force just sounds weird. Anyway, I don't get why this gives you resistance to force, which is basically unresistable damage, but not bludgeoning, which actually causes concussions. (Note: force damage does plenty of things; cuts you open with wings, bites you with jaws of force, stabs you with arrows of force, hits you with missiles of force, etc. It's not just force as in "I bash stuff.")

Ooze Ointment (Ex): At sixth level a Demolisher begins to secrete a residue that react painfully with an ooze's structure, causing a sort of 'bad taste'.

This secretion may be gathered and distilled with a DC 20 alchemy check and used to coat armor or coated on surfaces. An ooze who contacts this secretion must make a Fortitude save (DC equal to craft (alchemy) check) or take 1d4 points of dessication damage and will immediately try to leave the area. If this mixture is poured around the creature it is trapped and remains unmoving. This does not keep it from extending pseudopodia over it to attack those nearby however. The ointment lasts only a day before evaporating. It takes a week to gather the required amount from a single Demolisher.

Well, DC = to a skill check is an absurdly high DC, which is pretty bad, but... it's a horribly low damage. And it's *really* creepy that you're basically killing oozes with your own sweat. It also makes no sense how a bottle lasts a day, but it takes a week to collect it... the first through sixth days would have been gone by then, and that kind of fluff restriction just doesn't make sense.

Tremorsense (Ex): At seventh level a Demolisher has become so wary of cave-ins and sensitive to the stability of his surroundings that he gains an ability akin to tremorsense out to 60 feet in every direction if any of his skin is in contact with the ground, wall, or ceiling, or anything also touching these surfaces, such as a pillar. A Demolisher always knows two rounds before an area is about to collapse, and can sense the beginnings of a natural earthquake up to a day before it occurs.

Does this allow him to know in what way he's screwed up planting explosives? Also, future sight abilities are very horrible ideas because that strongly limits the actions you can take; if he doesn't sense earthquakes, you can't have a spellcaster use earthquake, you can't use cave in traps because he will know whether he succeeds or fails his save to avoid triggering it, but then won't activate it if it's going to be a yes anyway because he'll be backing away, etc.

Expert Demolition (Ex): At eighth level a Demolisher no longer has to make a check to see if he's planted his explosives correctly. He knows 'exactly' where they should be located. He can also detect any weak spot in a surface, and can use only a well swung hammer or pick to collapse a wall or ceiling.

Well, you get this about the time (actually far past the time) you'd auto succeed anyway.

X-ray Vision (Su): At ninth level a Demolisher has magically adapted to his profession and gains the ability to see through up to five feet of stone, one inch of most metals, or 8 feet of wood. Lead and denser metals block all x-ray vision.

Meh. One square of wood or stone isn't a great thing to see through, except in buildings.

Lord of Demolition (Sp): At tenth level a Demolisher has learned the methods to destroy nearly anything he wishes. He may break through even force affects such as a Wall of Force or Force Cage and he ignores enhancement bonuses to weapons and armor. With a common sword, or even his bare hands, he may sunder any item. His attacks ignore armor, and are considered Touch Attacks.

First off, it was never stated he couldn't destroy objects of force to begin with.

Second, ignoring enhancement bonuses on items seems very random, especially since that hurts him because he ignores all armor anyway, and making all his items mundane is rather negative for a capstone.

Third, normally all attacks being touch attacks would be very broken, but... this class gets literally no other useful class features related to actually fighting, on a poor fighting chassis.

As well, he no longer needs tools or explosives. With a touch here, a rap there and a careful vibration of voice he achieves his goal without additional help.

Doors act as if affected by Knock, except instead of simply unlocking they are wrecked from their hinges, cracked open, or in some way destroyed without the need for a Strength check.

Woo, you get disintegrate for doors, yay?

Explosives are volatile substances that react in various ways under certain circumstances. Once an explosion occurs the substance is immediately consumed. An explosion affects an area of 10 feet for every 2d6 damage the explosion would deal.

Augreen
Augreen is a lumpy, clay-like substance. You can throw it as a ranged attack with a range increment of 20 feet. When it strikes a hard surface (or is struck hard), it deals 4d6 points of force damage.

Undying Fire
Undying fire is a dark, viscous liquid that is alike to alchemist's fire except that it burns for 3d6 rounds and water does not put it out. Undying fire can be put by complete smothering of the flame.

Picric
Is a highly volatile dark yellow crystalline substance that if set near fire, or so much as dropped explodes. A being who uses the run action or undergoes any sudden movements, such as fighting, attempting a reflex save, throwing the mixture or the like risks setting it off. Each round this occurs they must roll a 1d20. On a roll of 1 the substance explodes.

OK, and now you actually get explosives... except they're all very poor and not even useful for blowing through objects, which seems to be this classes primary feature.

I just don't get this class. It's not good, at all, for anything related to combat, and destroying objects is a very specific ability that is, in general, very irrelevant to most campaigns. Nearly none of the abilities actually deal with combat, which makes this class, overall, terrible. It doesn't help that it's a level 5 entry PrC based entirely around doing a completely mundane task, when in D&D level 5 is near legendary heroes level. Anything this class can do, an equal level caster with Wings of Flurry can do better, and once they get disintegrate, this class is completely redundant, and I'm not talking about the typical "melee isn't useful against opti-casters" redundancy, I'm talking about the fact it gives up being good at combat in general to be worse at a utility feature than casters and, hell, even very powerful barbarians with adamantine weapons.

Plus, the entry requirements make no sense. Power attack on a class with bad BAB that doesn't attack anything?